Dawn of Light: Fated Darkness Book 3

Chapter 2: Surprise

Amelia leaned back in her chair, the soft leather applied little pressure to her lower back. She rubbed at the kinks in her neck. Hours spent pouring over pack schedules, border patrol reports, and budgets, was beginning to wear her thin.

Damon had left shortly after their brief chat, leaving her with a migraine and a mountain of paperwork.

This wasn't supposed to be her job. She wasn't supposed to be Alpha or have to deal with any of the headaches that came with it. She should be back at the Twilight Moon Pack with her husband, her feet propped up on the couch reading a book. After everything they'd been through she deserved some time off.

"Mom?"

Amelia lifted her gaze at the sound of her daughter's voice.

Emery's head peeked in through the open door, a permanent frown etched on her face, taking in the state of her mother.

Amelia knew she looked exhausted, the dark circles beneath her eyes were deep and worrisome.

It had been nearly two years since their battle against Michael. The bastard that forced her to abandon her mate, run away pregnant, and remain in hiding for the next seventeen years until fate forced her home. Two years since the death of her brother and she was officially declared Alpha of the Wandering Moon Pack, some idiot notion of Damon's. He had sons, yet he made her Alpha.

The transition was a difficult one. Her and Gabriel had finally made amends, reforging their bond, only to be thrown for a loop when she was made Alpha of a pack four hours away.

But, somehow, they were making it work.

They had managed to divide their time between the two packs. Whenever Amelia had to visit the Wandering Moon Pack, he would come for visits, sometimes staying for weeks at a time. But over the last few months, both packs had been having the same problem, keeping them separated for the time being. Not to mention that dragged out winter that kept both of them snowed in.

This trip to her pack lasted five months and counting. The longest she'd been away from Gabriel and the Twilight Moon Pack since her return. They managed to talk every day, but it wasn't the same. She craved his touch like an addict craved a cool needle slipping in their vein. As of late, she'd been more irritable, prone to snapping off the head of any wolf that dared approach. Her current situation wasn't making it any easier.

"Mom," Emery repeated, walking farther into the office. She walked around the large oak desk, leaning back against its solid frame. "You have to take better care of yourself. Let someone else deal with this," she said, gesturing towards the mounds of paperwork scattered across the surface.

"It's these fucking Vampire's," Amelia snarled. "What the hell are they thinking coming near our lands? And it's not just us, they're doing it to your father too."

"I know, momma. But they haven't attacked. Right now, we can just smell that they're near," Emery stood up, standing behind her mother and began to rub the knots from her shoulders. "You should really go home to dad."

"I can't, not right now," Amelia shook her head adamantly. If she went home now, he'd never let her leave the house again. There was too much to do.

Emery pulled her hands away from her mother's neck, earning her a whimper.

"Why'd you stop?" Amelia cried out. "It felt so good."

"Go home to dad. You can't hide here forever."

"Yes I can," she mumbled under her breath. "Emery, you know what he'll do once I go back."

"Yes, yes, he'll lock you in your room and never let you out," Emery said flippantly, completely disregarding her fears. "You need to give him some more credit. He might be mad at first, but you two have been to hell and back and still managed to find each other. Don't forget that."